WHEELING, W.Va., Sept. 13, 2013 - The Most Rev. Michael J. Bransfield, bishop, Wheeling-Charleston Diocese, has given $500,000 to Wheeling Jesuit (WJU) for its field renovation project - a gift that will benefit student-athletes from the University, as well as Wheeling Central Catholic High School.
Bishop Bransfield's gift is the largest given in the University's “HomeField Advantage” fundraising campaign to date. The gift coincides with the Bishop's 70th birthday and was made to help fund installation of the synthetic turf field. The University will name the field in honor of Bransfield's predecessor, the Most Rev. Bernard Schmitt.
Rev. James Fleming, S.J., president of the university, expressed the WJU community's gratitude to Bransfield for his support.
“I think Bishop Bransfield's generosity is a great tribute to Bishop Schmitt's years of service to the people of West Virginia. It shows a wonderful continuity from Archbishop Swint, who founded the school, to Bishop Schmitt, who shepherded it for so many years, and now to Bishop Bransfield who is re-energizing the university,” Fleming said.
“Ultimately, this field is part of our efforts to attract more intellectually curious students - and keep them. Our strong academic programs can attract outstanding students but we realize that prospective students also look at campus facilities when making their college decisions,” Fleming added.
The newly named Schmitt Field will sit inside Panhandle Stadium at WJU when all of the renovations are complete. The University has decided to name the stadium for the family-owned company Panhandle Cleaning and Restoration, because of the support received from the company's owners -- the Robert C. Contraguerro, Sr. family.
Work on Phase I of the renovation project began Sept. 9. Installation of the turf should be completed in late fall. The university's men's and women's soccer, lacrosse and track teams and rugby team will use the field. Fleming said that having Central Catholic play football games on the field and having the Bishop's Cup Catholic High School Soccer Tournament on campus helps WJU to “extend the Catholic connection between the Catholic high schools and the Catholic university.”
“This is a tremendous opportunity for Wheeling Central Catholic to be able to showcase our program at a first-class facility in a university setting,” said Wheeling Central Catholic Athletic Director Mike Young. “This partnership with Wheeling Jesuit will not only enhance the athletic experience for our students, but also will bring our institutions closer together to enhance a full K-16 Catholic educational experience. I'm almost at a loss for words about how excited we are to see this project coming to fruition after so much hard work by so many people."
The gifts from Bishop Bransfield and the Contraguerro family will be added to leadership gifts from Wheeling Jesuit's Cardinal Athletic Club along with an effort organized by Bob Schmitt, brother of the late Bishop Schmitt and Michael Ferns Sr. Major gifts for the project have been provided by Bordas and Bordas Law Firm and Fitzsimmons Law Offices. Other donors include John Beilein '75, men's basketball coach at the University of Michigan, the late Ed Coyne, WJU's first basketball coach, Main Street Bank and Dr. Gregory Merrick. The University has received another 150 gifts from WJU alumni and friends for the project.
ProGrass of Pittsburgh is installing the synthetic surface (turf) for the multi-sport field, while the Vasco Group of Massillon, Ohio is in charge of the excavation and ground preparation.
The renovation to Wheeling Jesuit's outdoor athletic complex has four additional phases. Phase II includes upgrades to the lighting, the track surface, press box, seating and scoreboard. Phase III consists of construction of new locker rooms, concession stand, ticket booth, plaza and pavilion and renovation of existing locker rooms. Phase IV involves construction of new track throwing areas. Phase V includes construction of an indoor practice facility.
To watch the construction, log onto http://oxblue.com/open/momentum/wju
For more information about the “Homefield Advantage” fundraising project, contact Noah Mull, alumni gift officer, at 304-243-8148 or nmull@wju.edu.
